THE Ministry of Home Affairs has been following with deep interest the unfortunate turn of events at Linden which resulted in the tragic shooting to death of three Guyanese citizens who were involved in protest actions at the Mackenzie Bridge on Wednesday, July 18, 2012. The ministry regrets the loss of lives over the GPL tariff rates issue which, in its view, remains an economic and financial issue but which unfortunately, was transformed into a highly charged political atmosphere, according to a statement issued last evening.
The statement continues:
“The Ministry of Home Affairs has requested of the Commissioner of Police a full, comprehensive, and immediate report on the matter.
“The ministry wishes to emphasize that the events which took place at the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge was strictly a police operation with no direct or indirect involvement of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“The ministry understands that work has already begun on the report. However, much depends on the speedy arrival of the bodies of the deceased in Georgetown to allow for the post mortems to be conducted by the competent medical authorities.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs fully supports the call and the decision by the Administration to establish a commission of inquiry with an international dimension yet to be determined.
“As an integral part of the Administration, the Ministry of Home Affairs stands ready to cooperate with the Commission when it is established and in keeping with the agreed terms of reference.
“In the meanwhile, the Minister of Home Affairs has, within the meaning of the Police Act Ch 16:01, issued general and specific directions to the Commissioner of Police(ag) to effect immediate changes at the Command level at E & F Police Division of which Linden is an integral part.
“The ministry wishes to inform the general public and particularly residents at Linden that the Joint Services will continue with their joint patrols in an effort to maintain an environment of peace and calm and good order at Linden,” the statement concluded.